Electric switch



(No Model.)

L. W. DILLON.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

A Patented Mar. 5, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT @Erica 'LOUTS XY. DILLON, OF NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, ASSIGNOR OF-ONE-HAL'F TO HOHER M. DAGGETT, JR., OF ATTLEBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELEoTRio SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,135, dated March 5, 1889. Application filed October 3. 1888. Serial No. 287,045. (No modeLl T0 all whom 15 may concern/.- crum on which the cam-lever turns when op- Be it known that l, LOUIS XV. DILLoN, of erating the switch-arm. North Attleborough, county of Bristol, and A shitting-arm is employed tol move the State of Massachusetts, have invented an Imcam-plate from its posit-ion in engagement 5 provement in Electric Switches, of which the l with the switch-arm at one side ot' its pivot 5 5 following description, in connection with the l to the position where it engages the switchaccompanying drawings, is a specification, arm at the other side'A of its pivot, the said like letters on the drawings representing like l shifting-arm and the cam-surface of the camparts. i lever beingso constructed that when the cam.- Io My invention relating to electric switches i ,lever engages the switch-arm its movement is 6o "is embodied inthe mechanism for moving the produced by the spring that acts on the plate, switch-arm by which the contact members of and is independent oi the movement of the the switch are moved suddenly into and out arm by which it was shiii'ted, so that although from the Contact, so as to prevent possibility' the shift-ing arm may be turned slowly the of making' an are between said members o1` switch-arm is always moved promptly and 6 producing heat by the resistance ot' an imsuddenly by spring action. perfect contact between the switch members. Figure l is a face view ot' a switch embody- Various devices have been employed 'for ing this invention; Fig. a side vie\\"thereof; producing a sudden movement of the switeh- Fig. 3, a longitudinal section; Fig. i, a detail zo arm of an electric switch; and the present inl, showing a portion oll the switch-arm and its 7o vention consists, mainly, in the combination l actuating cam-lever, and Figs. 5 and (5 views of parts hereinafter specified for accomplishshowing modifications in the electric contacts ing this result. controlled by the switcharm.

ln the switch termin g the subject or" this In the construction shown in i and 2 invention the switch-arm is loosely pivoted the switch-arm a controls two distinct sets of 7 on a spindle or arbor and extends on both electric contacts, making two distinct sets oi? sides of said arbor, so that lateral pressure on ciremt-connections when in the full-line posisaid switch-arm at one side oi' said-arbor or tion, Fig. l, or closed, and removing sue-h conpivot tends to turn the switch in one direcnections when moved to the position shown 3o tion, and lateral pressure in the same direcin dotted lines, Fig. l, or opened; but it is So tion, but at the other side ot" the arbor or obvious that the movement oi said switchpivot, tends to turn the switch-arm in the oparm may be made to control electric conposite direction. The saidswitch-arm is acted tacts oi various kinds, some ot which will upon at one or the other side of its pivot, acbe brietly referred to hereinafter. The n- 5 cording as it is to be moved in oneor the other vention is not, however, limited to any par- 85 direction bya spring-impelled cam-lever hav- 4 ticular kind of circuit-connection controlled ing a cam-surface that co-operatcs with a staby the switch-arm o, but relates more espetionary projection, shown in this instance as cially to the mechanism employed for moving the spindle or arbor upon which the switchthe said switch-aim. The switch-arm a is 4o arm turns, by which cam-surface the said aetuloosely pivoted on a spindle or arbor, c, which, 9o ating cam-lever is retained wholly disengaged as best shown in Fig. 3, turns in a tubular from the switch-arm during its movement bearing-piece, c, fastened in the block A, of from one to the other side oi' the pivot or ceninsulating material, that constitutes the base ter of movement thereof, and is moved sudupon which all the parts of the apparatus are 45 denly and quickly by its actuating-spring into supported. One or both ends of said arm ci 95 rfa-engagement with the switch-arm, which is izo-operate with electric contacts in such manthrown suddenly thereby, the said cam-lever ner that when it is in the position shown in act-ing wholly as a lever upon the switch-arm, full lines, Fig. l, it makes electrical connecandthe stationary projection that co-operates tion at such contacts, but when in the posigo with the cam surface constituting the tnli tion shown in dotted lines it breaks such con- I'oo surface d2 is at one side of a curved slot or opening in the lever that embraces a stationary piece or abutment, shown in this instance as the arbor t, upon which the switch-arm d is pivoted, and at an intermediate point between the ends of the curved slot in the lever,-

CZ the latter is provided with a pin or proj ection, d3, that engages the side of the arm a, and it Will be seen that if the cam-lever stands with one end of its slot around the arbOl l) the projection di will bear on the arm d at one side of its pivot, as shown in full lines, Figs. 1 and 4, but if moved so that the other end of the cam-slot receives the arbor b the said projection d will in such movement, owing to the shape of the cam-surface, follow the path represented in dotted lines, Fig. 4, and the projection d8 will be carried over, so as to bear on the switch-arm at the other side of its pivot. The spring e acts on the cam-lever in such direction as to tend to keep it with one or the other end of its slot over the arbor b, and when it has been pushed by some extraneous force from either extreme position toward the other the spring' will complete the movement from the point where the arbor is about at the middle of the cam-slot. The arbor l) constitutes the fnlcrum on which the lever d turns, and the said leveris capable of being shifted so that either end fulcrums on said arbor, the cam-surface merely controlling the path of movement of the lever while being shifted with relation to its fulcrum. Vhen the parts are in the position shown in full lines, Fig. l, the force of the spring e on the cam-lever tends to rotate the switch-arm d toward the contact-plates that co-operate with the ends thereof, and such rotation is limited by the engagement of the switch-arm with the said contact-plates, and the switch-arm is reta ined by the sprin g-pressure in its closed position. \Vhen, however,

` the shifting cam-lever has been moved so that its other end fulcrums on the arbor b, the proj ection d3 is brought to bear on the arm a at the other side of the pivot and tends to rotate the said arm away from its contacts, and as the arm is not held against such rotation the effect of the spring c will be to turn the camlever around the arbor b. as a fulcrum, the projection d in such movement also turning the switch-arm until the parts are brought by the action of the spring c into the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, and in full lines,

Fig. 6.

In order to conveniently move the cam-lever d with relation to the arbor b, the latter has xed upon it arms ff?, which, when the said arbor is turned by a suitable handle, (indicated at b2, Fig. 2,) engage the pin d3 on the cam-lever, which, as shown in this in-.

stance, projects at each side ofthe cam-plate, so as to co-operate both with the arm u, which is at one side, and with the shifting-arms f f2, which are at the other side, of the said cam-lever. This turning of the arms f f? from the full toward the dotted line position, Fig. 1, tends to carry the projection cl3 from one to the other side of the arbor, and the cani-surface d? governs the path of movement of the said projection d3, causing it to be first lifted off from the arm d, and then applied to the said arm d at the other side 'of its pivot, as will be understood from the representation in dotted lines in Fig. 4`of thepath of movement of said projection. After the arm f has carried the pin d3 a trie beyond the middle.t

of the arbor b, as will be effected bythe movement of the armf from the tull to the dotted line position, Fig. 1, the spring e., which has thus farbeen resisting such movement, owing to the curvature of the cam-surface, will iinmediately continue the movement ofthe camlever until tlie'arbor b is at the other end of' the cam-slot, thus throwing the cam-lever suddenlyT from the position where the pin cl3 is at 2, Fig. 4, to the position where it is at 3, Fig. 4, at which latter position it engages the arm a, striking t-he same a sudden blow, which, with the continued action of the spring on the cam-lever, moves the switch-arm with great snddenness to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1. In order to close the switch, the arms ff? are turned in the opposite direction, and the arm f2 engages the projection di and moves the cam-lever until the middle ot` its cam-slot has slightly passed the arbor b, when the spring e will complete the movement of the cam-lever suddenly, as before, and in such movement the proj ection f3 will throw the switch-arm back to the full-line positiomclosingthe switch promptly. Bythis construction it will be seen that no matter how slowly the operating-arms f f2 may be turned by the operator the switch-arm is not affected unt-il the cam-lever is suddenly drawn away from whichever arm, f or f2, happens to be moving it, and consequently it is impossible to move the switch-arm slowly or to leave the same in an intermediate position, it being always thrown suddenly from its eX- treme open to its extreme closed posit-ion, or the opposite. As before stated, the invention does not depend upon the nature of the contacts controlled by the switch-arm.

l As shown in Figs. l and 2, each end of the switch-arm is provided with a conductingslecve or tubular contact-piece, a2, which is insulated from the ends of the arm by bushings of insulated material, as, if the said arm be of metal. The said tubular contact-pieces co-operate with stationary contact-pieces m m2, one pair corresponding to each end of the switch-arm, so arranged as to engage the op- TOO IIO

posite sides of the said tubular contact-pieces c2, which thus make electrical connection between the pairs of contacts m fm2 when the arm is in the position shown in full lines, Fig. 1, but leave the said contacts m m2 disconnected when the arm is in the dotted-line position, each tubular contact-piece a2 thus constituting a movable intermediate connection between one pair of stationary contacts m m2, forming the terminals ot' the circuit controlled by that end of the switch-arm. If desired, the arm itself may form the direct connection between the two cont-acts n n2, as shown in Fig. 5, which connection is interrupted when the arm is moved-to the dottedline position, Fig. 5; 0r the connection might be made from the arm itself to one contact, m3, as indicated in Fig. 6, in which case the switch-arm a need only be extended at the side of its pivot away from the Contact 'm3 far enough to be engaged by the piu d3 for the purpose ot' opening the switch.

The operative parts of the switch may be inclosed in an inclosing case or shell, as indicated at A?, Fig. 2, leaving only the handle lf2 accessible at the outside of the case.

Switches have been made in which the switch-arm is moved by a spring,` which is applied first at one and then at the other side of the pivot or tulcrum of said switch-arm; but in such switches prior to the present invention the spring acts directly upon the switch-arm and bears against the same while being shifted from one to the other side of the fulcrum, while by the employment of a cam -lever to transmit the impulse of the spring to the switch-arm, as herein described, the spring-actuator engages the switch-arm only at two points, one at each side ot the pivot, and is thrown against the switch-arm, strikinga blow upon the latter, and thus mak- -ing its movement much more prompt than when the springl bears constantly against the switch-arm, and has its leverage gradually increased as it is shifted from its intermediate position to its extreme position at one or the other side of the switch-arm.

I claiml. The combination of the pivoted switcharin with an independently-movable actuating cam-lever that engages the switch-arm at each side of its pivot and a projection or abutment (3o-operating with the cam-surface and constituting,` the tulcrum of said cam-lever, by which cam-surface and abutment the said cam-lever is retained wholly disengaged from the said switch-arm during its movement from one to the other side of the pivot thereof, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the switch-arm and arbor constituting the pivot or fulcrum therefor with an independently-movable actuating shifting' cam-lever and spring, said lever hav ing` a cam-surface (3o-operating with said arbor, which constitutes the fulcrum for said lever in both positions of the latter, and arms connected with said arbor for shifting the cam-lever relative thereto, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the pivoted switcharm having contact-surfaces at each end insulated from said switch-arm with a pair ot stationary contacts co-operating with the contact-s at each end of said switch-arm, and a movable cam-lever that engages the said switch-arm at each side of its pivot, the camsurface of said lever constituting the guide that determines its path of movement when shifted with relation to the pivot of said switch-arm, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing' Witnesses.

LOUIS W. DILLGN.

"itnesses:

M. E. lIiLL, JAS. J. MALONEY. 

